Globe and Mail Article Profiles STUDIO tla's Inclusive Design Initiatives in the Public Realm

A recent article by published in the Globe and Mail explores the growing need for greater accessibility in public and commercial spaces. As part of the article, journalist Barbara Balfour interviewed STUDIO tla’s Jeffrey Craft to learn how our approach to integrating inclusive design principles into public realm projects in Toronto and Hamilton–among other municipalities–is helping to create greater access to public spaces for more community members.
Jeff highlights our efforts to design a new park at the Ontario Place West Island that will be fully accessible for the public, including the addition of 4,000 metres of pathway for people of all abilities, ramps and piers for deep swimming, and direct access to the edge of the shoreline for users of wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Our team has also designed walkways with gentle inclines to afford children and the elderly ease of movement.
Also mentioned in the article is our collaboration with the City of Hamilton to design a playground for children with sensory perception issues. This is a reference to the inclusive design principles applied to Inch Park, which considered a variety of textures, play values, sensory experiences, changes in topography and plantings to create a play environment that is accessible to many people in the community.